Diana Barry

Diana Barry is the daughter of Mr. Gorge Barry and Mrs. Elizabeth Barry. She is the older child, and has a younger sister named Minnie Mae. She is married to Fred Wright and has three children, a son named Fred Jr., a daughter named Anne Cordelia and then later another son named Jack. She has been the bosom friend of Anne Shirley since they were 13. When they were 14, Anne accidentally got Diana drunk off of Marilla's red current wine. Anne thought that the wine was raspberry cordial, a drink suitable to teenagers. Anne had never drunk or seen raspberry cordial so she had no idea what was wrong with Diana until she hastily followed Diana as Diana ran back to her rather large house where they came upon Mrs. Barry and Rachel Lynde (Marilla's best friend and neighbor). Mrs. Barry ordered Anne away from her house after Diana

Anne, Diana and Gilbert in school

Anne and Diana at the Christmas ball

Diana Barry

was sick in Mrs. Barry's bushes. Mrs. Barry ordered Anne never to talk to Diana to or to be seen with Diana ever again. Diana sneaks out of her house to tell Anne everything. Anne asks for a lock of Diana's hair and Diana tearfully gives it to her before running back home.

Later, Minnie Mae gets a bad fever and Anne saves her life. Mr. and Mrs. Barry were away and when they returned, Mrs. Barry tells Anne that all is forgiven and that she wants Anne to accompany them to a Christmas ball as their guest of honor. After Matthew and Marilla give their consent, (and after Mattew buys Anne a dress with puffed sleeves), Anne and Diana go to the ball together. At the ball, we see Gilbert dancing with Josie, and then in a conversation with an elderly woman. Diana dares Anne to ask Gilbert for a dance, and Anne agrees to it. She approches Gilbert, and bids him a good evening, and he ignores her. Anne takes some punch and sets down her dance card and Diana comes to her side so as she doesn't feel alone. When Gilbert turns around and sees Diana, he joyfully wishes her a merry Christmas and Anne angrily snaps at Diana for returning it to him. But everything goes well and they have a lovely holiday. At the end, Diana tells Anne that she has feelings for Gilbert, but she never did anything about it because she thought that Anne was in love with him. Nothing becomes of this, however.

When Diana and Fred let the news of their plans for marriage out, Anne is quite shocked because Gilbert told her and not Diana herself. Diana explains that she wanted to tell Anne, but Anne was busy writing a book called Adviral's Attonment and Diana didn't want to bother her. Anne simply tells Diana that she's very happy for her. After Anne leaves to go work as a teacher away from Avonlea, Diana gets pregnant and when Anne returns, Diana has a son named Fred Jr. Diana tells Anne that she wanted to have a daughter to name her Anne, but then she says that she couldn't be happier with her little Fred Jr. After the war breaks out, and Anne leaves to

Anne and Diana riding in Diana's car

go find Gilbert, Diana and her children set up house in Green Gables, where Anne told them they could stay. In the end, Anne tells Diana, Fred, and their children that she, Gilbert and their son Dominic are going to find a different place to live and that they want them to have Green Gables for themselves.